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On
the
thirty-first
of
December
,
New
Year
's
Eve
,
1809
-
10
an
old
grandee
of
Catherine
's
day
was
giving
a
ball
and
midnight
supper
.
The
diplomatic
corps
and
the
Emperor
himself
were
to
be
present
.
The
grandee
's
well-known
mansion
on
the
English
Quay
glittered
with
innumerable
lights
.
Police
were
stationed
at
the
brightly
lit
entrance
which
was
carpeted
with
red
baize
,
and
not
only
gendarmes
but
dozens
of
police
officers
and
even
the
police
master
himself
stood
at
the
porch
.
Carriages
kept
driving
away
and
fresh
ones
arriving
,
with
red-liveried
footmen
and
footmen
in
plumed
hats
.
From
the
carriages
emerged
men
wearing
uniforms
,
stars
,
and
ribbons
,
while
ladies
in
satin
and
ermine
cautiously
descended
the
carriage
steps
which
were
let
down
for
them
with
a
clatter
,
and
then
walked
hurriedly
and
noiselessly
over
the
baize
at
the
entrance
.
Almost
every
time
a
new
carriage
drove
up
a
whisper
ran
through
the
crowd
and
caps
were
doffed
.
"
The
Emperor
?
...
No
,
a
minister
...
prince
...
ambassador
.
Do
n't
you
see
the
plumes
?
...
"
was
whispered
among
the
crowd
.
One
person
,
better
dressed
than
the
rest
,
seemed
to
know
everyone
and
mentioned
by
name
the
greatest
dignitaries
of
the
day
.
A
third
of
the
visitors
had
already
arrived
,
but
the
Rostóvs
,
who
were
to
be
present
,
were
still
hurrying
to
get
dressed
.
There
had
been
many
discussions
and
preparations
for
this
ball
in
the
Rostóv
family
,
many
fears
that
the
invitation
would
not
arrive
,
that
the
dresses
would
not
be
ready
,
or
that
something
would
not
be
arranged
as
it
should
be
.
Márya
Ignátevna
Perónskaya
,
a
thin
and
shallow
maid
of
honor
at
the
court
of
the
Dowager
Empress
,
who
was
a
friend
and
relation
of
the
countess
and
piloted
the
provincial
Rostóvs
in
Petersburg
high
society
,
was
to
accompany
them
to
the
ball
.
They
were
to
call
for
her
at
her
house
in
the
Taurida
Gardens
at
ten
o'clock
,
but
it
was
already
five
minutes
to
ten
,
and
the
girls
were
not
yet
dressed
.
Natásha
was
going
to
her
first
grand
ball
.
She
had
got
up
at
eight
that
morning
and
had
been
in
a
fever
of
excitement
and
activity
all
day
.
All
her
powers
since
morning
had
been
concentrated
on
ensuring
that
they
all
--
she
herself
,
Mamma
,
and
Sónya
--
should
be
as
well
dressed
as
possible
.
Sónya
and
her
mother
put
themselves
entirely
in
her
hands
.
The
countess
was
to
wear
a
claret-colored
velvet
dress
,
and
the
two
girls
white
gauze
over
pink
silk
slips
,
with
roses
on
their
bodices
and
their
hair
dressed
à
la
grecque
.
